We hope you're near the Mos Eisley Cantina, because you'll definitely need to unwind after
hearing this head-spinning new Star Wars theory.
"Welcome, young Skywalker!"
Over at Screen Rant, writer Thomas Bacon has published a theory centered around Emperor
Palpatine, the Sith Lord who rose through the ranks of the Galactic Republic to become
its Emperor before Darth Vader took him out in Return of the Jedi by launching him into
the Death Star's reactor.
Or, at least, that's what we thought happened.
The vicious villain is slated to make a jaw-dropping comeback in writer-director J.J. Abrams' The
Rise of Skywalker.
Palpatine's signature cackle was heard in the first trailer, and his presence could
be felt in the final pre-release footage for the film, when Daisy Ridley's Rey stood opposite
a dark figure.
Many have speculated as to what Emperor Palpatine's role in The Rise of Skywalker will be, without
accounting for how he would even be alive to return and wreak havoc in the first place.
Now, Bacon has presented a theory apparently crafted by many other Star Wars fans as to
how the character survived his apparent death-by-the-Death-Star.
The idea goes that Emperor Palpatine didn't really die when Darth Vader, overcome with
emotion while watching Palpatine attack and torture his son Luke Skywalker with Force
lightning, chucked him into the Death Star's reactor.
Rather, it's believed that Palpatine transformed himself into Force energy to survive the fall
into the reactor.
And that energy blast may not have been a release of Dark Side energy as traditionally
believed, but instead Palpatine himself in his new Force energy form.
How exactly might have Emperor Palpatine rid himself of his mortal body and turned himself
into intangible Force energy?
The theory points to the in-universe legends collection Star Wars: Myths & Fables, which
contains a story called "Gaze of Stone."
The story involves a Sith Lord apprentice performing a ritual that transforms flesh.
His plan went sideways, however, when the ritual was turned against him, and he was
turned into rock.
According to this new theory, Emperor Palpatine used a Sith ritual similar to this one to
escape death at the end of Return of the Jedi.
Palpatine's preoccupation with immortality is an important foundation of this theory,
as the ensuing details claim that Palpatine built his Throne Rooms like the one within
the Death Star in a way that would allow him to "amplify his power" and "transform into
an energy state rather than die."
It isn't out of the realm of possibility that Emperor Palpatine, fearful of dying and losing
power over the galaxy, would call upon a Sith enchantment to cheat death.
However, there's a big snag in this theory: it doesn't explain how Palpatine would then
return to his physical form pale skin, haunting eyes, and all to stir up trouble in The Rise
of Skywalker.
Many have turned to Chuck Wendig's Star Wars: Aftermath novels for a possible solution.
The books feature a Sith cultist and former adviser to Emperor Palpatine who attempts
a ceremony within one of the Emperor's Throne Rooms in an attempt to revive Palpatine and
restore his body.
The ceremony fails in the novel, but could someone else carry out a similar ceremony
in The Rise of Skywalker and place Palpatine back in his corporeal form?
Anything's possible in the Star Wars universe, but the ritual-performer would have to be
someone extremely devoted to the dark side and the advancement of the First Order who
would genuinely want to see the Emperor return to the throne.
An obvious choice would be Kylo Ren, the emotionally-unbalanced villain who may be suffering a crisis of confidence
and faith in the upcoming movie.
Plus, there have been a ton of rumors suggesting that Kylo Ren will abandon the dark side and
his villainous moniker before the end of The Rise of Skywalker, reclaiming his birth name
of Ben Solo to complete his redemption arc.
A potentially faltering First Order baddie isn't exactly the kind of candidate one would
select to resurrect Emperor Palpatine and bring about what's probably going to be the
most intense First-Order-versus-Resistance battle the galaxy has ever seen.
Unless, of course, Kylo revives him for the sole purpose of killing him for good this
time.
Fans will have to try to keep their minds from running wild with unconfirmed theories,
and patiently wait until The Rise of Skywalker opens in theaters on December 20 to learn
the truth.
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